Olefin polymerization catalysts are of great use in industry. Hence there is interest in finding new catalyst systems that increase the commercial usefulness of the catalyst and allow the production of polymers having improved properties.
Catalysts for olefin polymerization have been based on bisphenolate complexes as catalyst precursors, which are typically activated with an alumoxane or with an activator containing a non-coordinating anion.
Diamine bis(phenolate) Group IV complexes have been used as transition metal components in the copolymerization of ethylene and hexene, see for example, Macromolecules 2005, 38, 2552-2558, and in the homopolymerization of 1-hexene, see for example J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10706, and propylene, see for example, Macromolecules 2010, 43, 1689.
WO 2002/036638 and WO 2012/098521 disclose diamine bis(phenolate) compounds for use as alpha olefin polymerization catalysts.
WO 2012/027448 and WO 2003/091262 disclose bridged bis(phenyl phenol) compounds for olefin polymerization catalysts.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,071,701 discloses bridged polydentate catalyst complexes that produce low molecular weight (approx. 21,000 Mw or less) homopolypropylene where the examples have one carbon in the bridge.
Other references of interest include: WO 2016/003878; WO 2016/003879; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,841,502; 6,596,827; WO 2014/143202; WO 2014/022746; WO 2014/022010; WO 2014/022012; WO 2014/22008; WO 2014/022011; WO 2015/088819; U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,791,2177, 812,104; 6,232,421; 6,333,389; 6,333,423; 8,907,032; WO 2007/130306; Israel Journal of Chemistry, Volume 42, 2002 pg. 373-381; Macromolecules, 2007, 40, 7061-7064; Chem. Comm. 2000, 379-380; Organometallics, 2001, 20, 3017-3028; Organometallics, 2005, 24, 200-202; Organometallics, 2009, 28, 1391-1405; Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2013, 51, 593-600; WO 2014/070502; US 2016/0280722; US 2017/0096509; Organometallics, 2002, 662-670; WO 2013/096573; Macromolecules 2013, 46, 2569-2575; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 5566-5567; Macromolecules 2013, 46, 6758-6764; WO 2016/094861; WO 2016/089935; WO 2006/020624; US 2006/0025548; US 2006/0052554; WO 2005/108406; US 2006/0024517; U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,957,171; 8,957,172; 8,952,114; 9,045,568; 9,365,661; 9,382,349; 8,937,137; 9,150,676; 9,200,100; 9,200,099; 9,290,589; 9,534,070; US 2015/0291713; US 2015/0337062; US 2015/0344601; U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,000,108; 9,422,383; 8,609,794 and 9,193,813.
There still is need for adding to the range of catalysts complexes that may be prepared and broaden their performance in alkene polymerization. Further, there is a need in the art for new catalysts with high activity that can produce crystalline polymers with good molecular weights.